patria potestas

from The Century Dictionary.

• In Roman antiquity, a father's control and dominion over his children born in the complete Roman marriage, grandchildren, and other descendants, extending in early times to the power of life and death, and including the rights of sale into servitude, and of emancipation or discharge of the child from the privileges and charges of the family.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun historical The legal power and rights of a Roman father over his children and descendants by virtue of his paternity.